The Artists and The Places

Sunday, 29 May 2011

My Art Materials - or why it's a good idea to take a car!

This is my checklist of art materials and equipment for drawing, sketching and painting in Provence. It contains some top tips from people more experienced than me at painting plein air in oils.

I thought I might as well put it on the blog and then I can't lose it! I'm bound to have forgotten stuff I need to take so this will keep being updated as I remember it! Hopefully it will be complete before I set off on 9th June.

Now I know it looks like a lot but I am going to be in Provence for three weeks and this is a painting holiday not a sightseeing one. Plus I've got six days of travelling there and back when I'll be fitting in sketches to break up the journey.

Plus I'm driving - and that's what I buy a decent sized car for - so I can take art materials on holiday!

My Pastel Art Bin (more portable!) So sad to see that they don't seem to be making these any more - I really like them. However they won't take Unisons which is why I've always kept mine in their boxes.

Vivien - who understands my problems with carrying too much weight / the need to maintain balance at all time (or else I fall over due to very dodgy feet!) - suggests I forget the pochade box and easel and use something lightweight as an alternative - she's now written up her advice in the email below as a proper post re what she takes on painting holidays

Consider as an alternative, a simple plastic food box - the kind with clip sides is good. That's what I took to Cornwall. Though I took my easel I never actually used it! I hand hold my work - you can use the lightweight board you use and clip your sketchpad and palette to it with bulldog clips. The liquin and palette knives fit into the box as well. Brushes in an old padded envelope rolled up. Then baby oil and rags and tissues plus your oil paper sketchbook and it all fits into a lightweight rucksack.

15 comments:

Now I'm in a panic - I have to make a packing list! That lightweight foam core board for fixing paper to sounds terrific Katherine. You may be able to sell me a piece? Now I want a shopping trolley as well.

I've just made a note to self - Pack a few favourite watercolour painting DVDs. You don't have those on your list! ;)

Oh yes please, bring one for me please. I have visions of us all tottering around Provence with mad hats, shopping trollies and odd kitchen items converted to painting equipment...I feel a cartoon coming on, I will just finish todays illustration quota and then we shall see!

Here goes.....go to judson's online for wet panel and canvas carriers that are lightweight, inexpensive and easy to lug about. For in field notans:3 tombow felt pens of varying shades of grey. Keeps your decided value picture plan on track.Paints: one warm and cool of each primary. Here's what I take: titanium white,cad lemon yellow, cad yellow med, cad red light, quinacridone red (love this one! - great mixes),ultramarine blue, and thalo blue. I do not buy cerulean as it is too costly. I simply add gobs of white to thalo blue and a minute touch of viridian if I want cerulean. Close enough and I can still afford lunch after the painting session. Paint is heavy so if I can lug around what I have and I feel the need to add more I take long small tubes of viridian, aliz crimson and raw sienna, burnt seinna if the hills are reddish where I will be. Anything else you can mix. I usually take baby wipes, wrap wet brushes in them and then pop them into a large, plastic baggy until I can clean them well when I return for the day. Don't be desolate if you need to 'finish' the pieces back when you are more comfortably housed. It's very hard to come to a complete finish in the field as the light is not a constant. And here the notans and any notes you have taken, prove their worth again. Happy painting. Would that I could join you!

Katherine...how I loved seeing you 20 years ago...haven't changed one bit!!Sarah...I'm one of those using everything for antyhing(converted kitchen paints tools).This past week, someone approached my gallery and were surprised to see that it is about paintings and it isn't an antiquaire(antique dealer)!!Ronelle

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